The NKyTribune will be providing focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all of our pre-season features on each of NKY’s 21 high school football teams and follow our coverage, including roundups each week at Northern Kentucky High School Football.
By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Covington Catholic sophomore Casey McGinness scored one touchdown rushing, one on a pass reception and another on a kickoff return during his team’s 56-48 win over Oak Hills on Thursday in a Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown game played at Mount St. Joseph University.
The Colonels took a 14-7 lead on a 46-yard touchdown run by McGinness in the second quarter and he caught a 70-yard TD pass from junior quarterback AJ Mayer in the third quarter that made it 28-7. After Oak Hills opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back touchdowns that cut the margin to 42-28, McGinness got the momentum back in his team’s favor by scoring on a 90-yard kickoff return.
CovCath had a commanding 56-28 lead with less than seven minutes left in the game, but Oak Hills was able to score 20 straight points before time ran out.
McGinness finished with 319 all-purpose yards in rushing, receiving and returns. He rushed for 79 yards on 15 carries, caught three passes for 94 yards and netted 146 yards in kickoff and punt returns.
The two teams had a combined total of 1,026 yards in offensive plays. Oak Hills finished with 548 yards and CovCath had 478. The individual leader was Oak Hills quarterback Jacob Woycke, who passed for 408 yards and five TDs while also rushing for 51 yards and two TDs.
Mayer completed 19 of 28 passes for 286 yards and four touchdowns for CovCath. He also picked up 68 yards on 15 carries and scored a TD. Anthony Best caught one of Mayer’s TD passes and scored on a 1-yard run into the end zone.
The win evened CovCath’s record at 1-1. It was the season opener for Oak Hills.
OAK HILLS 7 0 6 35 — 48
COVCATH 0 21 21 14 — 56
OH – Woycke 1 run (Staubitz kick)
CC – O’Connell 30 pass from Mayer (Kloska kick)
CC – McGinness 47 run (Kloska kick)
CC – Mayer 1 run (Kloska kick)
CC – McGinness 70 pass from Mayer (Kloska kick)
OH – J. Smith 3 pass from Woycke (kick failed)
CC – Reisiger 14 pass from Mayer (Kloska kick)
CC – Best 1 run (Kloska kick)
OH – Record 50 pass from Woycke (Staubitz kick)
OH – Scherra 15 pass from Woycke (Montag pass from Woycke)
CC – McGinness 90 kickoff return (Kloska kick)
CC – Best 8 pass from Mayer (Kloska kick)
OH – Montag 85 run (pass failed)
OH – Woycke 7 run (Montag run)
OH – Smith 28 pass from Woycke (run failed)
RECORDS: CovCath 1-1, Oak Hills 0-1.